Tony Blair is rarely in Great Britain for long, so to get him on his own, and especially talking about sport, is something of an event.
But there I was with him on the 0900 train to Darlington - the quiet train as he recalled it from his days as an MP when he regularly took it to return to his Sedgefield constituency.
This Friday was anything but quiet. We had no sooner left King's Cross, London, when Dr John Reid, his former home secretary, slid into the seat next to him.
Sport as a metaphor for life is an overworked cliche.
For many years I dined out on Neville Cardus's great saying that if everything about England was destroyed except for the laws of cricket, life in this country could be recreated. I am not sure if even Cardus would advance that position today.
Sport like all social activities reflects life but may not tell much about how to live it.
Setanta's rights may well ultimately be picked up by other broadcasters following its fall into administration today - at least that will be the hope of the various sports affected.
But more significant may be the collateral damage it has done to football's governing bodies, in particular the less than brilliant relationship between the Premier League and the FA.
On Friday when the Premier League decided to take its ball home, effectively sentencing Setanta to death, the FA did little to hide its displeasure.
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I'm Mihir Bose, the BBC's sports editor. This blog is my regular take on the key sports stories and issues behind the headlines.
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